Prices and costs are rising and aren’t showing signs of stopping. With shortages, supply chain issues, and inflation, everything costs more, including the automotive industry.
New cars are expensive (and hard to find), and car parts cost more. This means you could find yourself struggling to pay the price if you’re unprepared when you need a repair.
But what about saving on inflation instead of opening your wallet? Instead of car repairs — think vehicle maintenance. A little can go a long way in protecting your vehicle from costly, major repairs.
Saving on Inflation with Car Maintenance
Getting your car serviced based on mileage is recommended, and we should all know our oil change schedule by now. But what about some of the bigger ticket items?
Here’s what Northwest Auto Center of Houston recommends for every two years or 30,000 miles for preventative maintenance. There are other items that each manufacturer recommends at certain mileage, but that’s on specific case by case basis.
1) Throttle Body Service and Clean
Your vehicle’s throttle body is responsible for maintaining the proper RPMs, including when you accelerate and idle. Over time, carbon deposits build on the throttle components. This can cause inconsistencies in idle speed, can cause stalling and a hesitation on acceleration.
Too much build-up can be very hard to clean, so it’s better to keep to a scheduled maintenance schedule. So instead of paying the replacement costs, we suggested the lower price of maintenance and cleaning every 30,000 miles or 2 years; whichever occurs first.
2) Fuel Injection Service
Just like in the throttle body, grime and carbon build-up on the fuel injector pintle. Cleaning it every 30,000 miles or 2 years, helps clear this grime and keeps your car running smoothly.
Without preventative vehicle maintenance, your car could begin misfiring and need replacement parts. Saving during this inflationary time, means avoiding unnecessary repairs.
3) Power Steering Flush and Service
Like your engine oil, the other fluids in your vehicle need replacing every so often. Why? Over time, fluids, like the power steering fluid, lose their lubricity. This causes excessive wear and tear on sensitive engine parts.
And let us tell you, the cost of replacing fluids is much less than that of replacing parts (and we know, since we’ve been doing this a very long time)!
4) Brake Flush and Service
Are you starting to see a trend here?
Brake fluid is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs water. Water will corrode your brake system, from the inside out. Brake flushes get rid of any water in the system, (water boils at a lower temperature than brake fluid, which will cause brake fade; especially on hills or mountains).
5) Cabin Air Filter
Every so often, your cabin air filter needs to be replaced. Luckily, it’s pretty easy and a quick replacement.
So how is something so easy so good at helping you save money? When the filter is dirty, it slows down air velocity and makes the blower motor work extra hard. This can cause the motor to fail (and need replacing).
Better an air filter than a motor.
Avoiding Car Repairs with Preventative Maintenance
When saving on inflation and car repairs, it starts with maintenance (it ends with maintenance, too — it’s all about maintenance).
A little work and money go a long way in avoiding costly replacements.
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